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Newswise — GUELPH, Ontario – NSF-GFTC (formerly the Guelph Food Technology Centre), now part of NSF International’s Global Food Division, and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) have partnered to provide IFT’s Certified Food Scientist (CFS) preparatory course to food professionals throughout Canada. The first courses will be offered on Wednesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 3 in Guelph, Ontario.

The CFS preparatory course is an elective course designed to prepare those applying for their CFS credential. This course is also valuable for those looking to update their applied scientific knowledge in a professional group setting. The CFS program is a first-of-its-kind certification for food professionals worldwide and is designed to meet the International Standards Organization (ISO) 17024 standard for personnel certification programs.

The purpose of the Certified Food Scientist certification is to:• Assess the applied knowledge and skills of food scientists• Assure consumers that food scientists have demonstrated the knowledge essential to their job role/function• Help employers, practitioners and the public identify individuals with certain knowledge and skills• Raise the visibility and credibility of the food science profession through a certification program• Promote lifelong learning related to the food science profession

There are nearly 1,500 Certified Food Scientists from 54 countries around the world. These CFS credential holders play important roles in food science, industry, academia and government, among other areas. For professionals working in the food science field who do not have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree in food science, obtaining the CFS credential enables them to demonstrate their application of fundamental science knowledge to the food sector.

“Credentials such as the CFS are essential in differentiating individual professionals in an increasingly competitive food industry marketplace,” says Petra Schennach, Managing Global Director of Food Training and Education at NSF International. “As a global leader in food safety training, NSF-GFTC is very pleased to partner with IFT to bring this quality training opportunity to professionals in Canada.”

“We are pleased to be partnering with NSF-GFTC Training Services to make this course available to food science and technology professionals in Canada,” said IFT President Janet E.Collins, PhD, RD, CFS. “This new partnership is a prime example of our collective commitment to ensuring that the global food scientists working to improve today’s food supply have opportunities for professional development via this prep course and the Certified Food Scientist (CFS) certification.”About NSF-GFTC: NSF-GFTC, now part of NSF International’s Global Food Division, provides food safety and quality consulting, auditing, training, quality and technical services along with innovative solutions for the food and beverage industry to help leading processors and manufacturers improve their people, process and products (www.gftc.ca). NSF-GFTC experts audit, train, consult and provide a wide array of course offerings focused on food safety, regulatory and HACCP, and are known for their Global Food Safety and Quality Benchmarked Standards series. NSF-GFTC is an Approved Training Establishment for BRC (British Retail Consortium) and a Licensed Training Center for Safe Quality Food (SQF).

About IFT: This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Food Technologists. Since its founding in 1939, IFT has been committed to advancing the science of food, both today and tomorrow. The non-profit scientific society—with more than 18,000 members from more than 100 countries—brings together food scientists, technologists and related professions from academia, government and industry. For more information, please visit ift.org.